Running Out of Time
by AsLostAsAliceAsMadAsTheHatter
Summary: Hacker's done it, he's finally snapped. He's taken control of most of Cyberspace and destroyed Motherboard, or so he thinks. Time is of the essence to the Cybersquad. Motherboard is dying, and their only hope lies in a mythical stone hidden somewhere in Cyberspace. Can they find it before Hacker destroys them all?
1. Prologue: Not So Distant Future

"Systems overheating, engines crashing!" Doctor Marbles shouted out in warning. He glanced at the small female cyborg curled on a cot. "Emergency landing imminent! Brace for crash!"

He jerked the steering column upwards, hoping to keep the hovercraft airborne for as long as possible. Matt, Jackie, and Inez crouched by the cot, clinging to it and keeping the woman from falling off. Digit furiously flipped switches in the co-pilot's seat, desperately trying to help Doctor Marbles. Hacker fired another shot, completely eradicating one of their engines.

"Doc, we just lost engine two!" Digit yelled. "We're done for!"

"Calm your circuits! Maneuvering for emergency landing now! Cybermates, are you braced for impact?"

"Ready!" the girls called.

"Don't worry, Doc, we've got her!" Matt called over the shaking of the ship.

"All right. Program begin, start!"

They lost altitude quickly, the drop popping their ears and making their stomachs flip. The cyborg on the bed whimpered, the crash landing not belong her in her already weakened condition. Jackie and Inez winced in sympathy, hushing her. Pained eyes peeled out at them, tears glistening in electric blue eyes. Matt reached over and found her hand, squeezing comfortingly.

"We've got you, you'll be okay, Motherboard. I promise."


	2. In the Beginning

**AN: When a chapter starts with an italicized section that reads like a journal entry or an italicized section period, the aforementioned section takes place in "current time" or the same time as the prologue. The majority of each chapter and of this story will be flashbacks that lead up to the prologue. Hope this clears up any confusion!**

* * *

 _It's finally happened, Hacker has snapped. He's gone completely nuts, rampaging through Cyberspace, taking over sites left and right. Nothing seems to be able to stop him, not even Motherboard._

 _Motherboard._

 _I can see her from my spot as I write this. Man, she's not doing well at all. Right now she's trying to help Doctor Marbles find a way out of here, but by the way her eyes keep slipping closed its obvious she won't last much longer._

 _-Matt_

The boy sighed as he closed the book and lowered his pencil. They were trapped, Motherboard was dying, and Hacker had almost total control. He would blame someone, except no one had seen it coming. It wasn't anybody's fault, and perhaps that was why it was so hard to face.

He glanced at Motherboard again, wincing as guilt washed over him. If it wasn't anyone's fault then why did he feel so horrible?

* * *

"Cybersquad!" Motherboard called, interrupting the trio's movie.

They paused it, grabbing Jackie's skwak.

"Mother B! What's wrong?" Jackie asked.

"Hack attack! Cybersite Eureeka! Must go now!"

She disappeared, a portal taking her place. The three hurriedly jumped in, ready to deal with Hacker as always. They didn't know they had just jumped right into a trap.

 ** _..._**

Hacker laughed maniacally as he ended his transmission. He's finally done it! He'd found a way to distract the earth brats long enough for him to dismantle Motherboard. Who knew a little system hacking would be so easy? By building an image projector he was able to hack the skwakpads' signal, sending them a message disguised as Motherboard. With the aid of a voice transmorpher they'd fallen for his ruse, leaving him ample time to complete his mission.

"Buzz! Delete! Get in here!" he yelled impatiently, already piloting toward Control Central.

"Y-yeah, Boss?" Buzz asked, entering the bridge with Delete.

"Listen up, you despicable duncebuckets! When I dock onto Control Central in less than fifteen minutes the alarms will sound. When this occurs, you will take this remote," he held it up, "and press this button," he pointed to it, "which will disable all alarms and defense systems. Do you understand?"

"Y-yeah, Boss. Push that button when we hear the alarm, got it."

"You'd better, you dim-witted bucket of bolts! Otherwise I'll dismantle you once circuit at a time!"

He threw them the remote, and both robots slunk into a corner, as far away from him as they could get. They'd noticed a change in the borg recently, and they didn't like it. He was a little more ruthless, a tad more calculated. His temper was constantly at breaking point, and they'd learned the hard way to obey commands correctly the first time. So when the Wreaker attached to the landing bay at Control Central and the alarms blared, Buzz made sure to press the button.

The alarms stopped immediately, as had the lockdown that had been initiated upon Hacker's arrival. The power-hungry cyborg strode down the ramp of the Wreaker and through the halls of Control Central, grinning evilly at what he was about to do.

* * *

"Oof!" Matt, Jackie, and Inez grunted as they landed in a heap on Cybersite Eureeka.

"Your really think we'd have this whole landing thing down by now," Jackie muttered as she brushed herself off.

"Uh guys, this doesn't look like Professor Archimedes' lab," Inez said.

They looked around and sure enough they were smack dab in the middle of the desert.

"I know Motherboard glitches sometimes, but this is a bad miss even for her," Matt said.

"We'll see better start walking if we want to get to the lab in time to stop Hacker," Inez said, choosing a random direction and beginning to walk.

Shrugging, with no better ideas, Matt and Jackie followed her, hoping they weren't too late.

* * *

"Motherboard, what's going on?!" Digit yelled as the security system shut off.

"Unauthorized shut down. Security breech. Attempting to restart," Motherboard responded.

"Don't bother!" Hacker snapped as he entered the control room.

"Yoikes!" Digit yelped, flying into the air.

"Hacker! You're not welcome here!" Motherboard snapped.

"Welcome or not, I'm here, permanently," he growled, stepping closer.

"That's what you think, Hacker!" Digit yelled, landing in front of the console.

"Oh please, as if you could stop me you pathetic pest!" He pulled out a laser gun. "Out of my way!"

Hacker fired, hitting the keyboard. Motherboard's screen fuzzed before refocusing, and for the first time the cyber ruler held a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Motherboard!" Digit yelled, cold dread settling in his stomach.

"Digit, get help! Call the Cybersquad!"

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hacker said, lazily aiming at another spot on the console. "They won't be able to help you now."

"What d'ya mean?" Digit asked, subtly attempting to reach the button that would call the kids.

He jumped back as a laser skimmed his feather tips.

"No, no, Digit. The fun's just beginning." He sighed, to his dismay already bored with the whole ordeal, which wasn't as invigorating as it should have been. "Since you won't be around much longer I suppose there's no harm in telling you. With the help of my marvelous invention, I sent your precious kiddies on a wild goose chase. They don't suspect a thing, and they won't until I'm long gone. Say goodbye, Motherboard."

His next shot hit the monitor, shattering it and raining sparks down on the floor.

"Motherboard!" Digit cried. "You pompous piece of cybertrash! You killed her!" he shrieked.

He flew at Hacker's face, but wasn't expecting him to swing the gun. The butt hit him square in the head, knocking him out of the air. He crashed into the wall, the impact rendering him unconscious. Grinning darkly, Hacker began aiming for the panels that covered Motherboard's circuitry and wiring, determined not to leave any way for her to be rebooted. Melting the panels away with a few shots, and crying some wires, he reached inside and began yanking the circuitry loose, relishing in the shocks he received, as they were proof he was succeeding.

He made quick work of the console, removing and destroying critical wires and mechanics, emptying the Cryoxide, and further damaging the keyboard. Satisfied that Motherboard was damaged beyond repair, he left Control Central, taking Digit with him.

* * *

"Guys, I don't think we're going to find the lab," Jackie said after they'd been walking a while.

"We can't just give up! We've gotta stop Hacker!" Matt retorted.

They began arguing and Inez sighed, knowing it was better to let them get it out of their systems now rather than later. Just as she had had about all she could handle, a quiet crackling filled the air. Confused, she began to search for it, ignoring her friends who were still arguing. Finally realizing it was her skwakpad, she pulled it out, pressing the button to receive the call. Static crackled for several moments before a voice strained through.

"I...nez..."

"Motherboard?"

At that, Jackie and Matt stopped fighting and went over to see what was going on.

"Need...help. Ha...Hacker...here. Not much...time..."

A very small, very weak portal opened, nearly transparent. The three looked at one another and back to the portal.

"Think it's a trick?" Matt asked.

"No, that was definitely Mother B, and she sounded really bad, guys," Jackie said.

"But if that was Motherboard, then what are we doing here?" Matt asked.

"Of course!" Inez shouted, slapping her forehead. "Hacker tricked us, apparently to get us out of the way." She eyed the flickering portal that seemed to be collapsing on itself. "Come on, I don't think Motherboard can keep this open much longer."

They jumped, a feeling of foreboding settling in their bones. Surprisingly, the portal remained intact through the their trip, depositing them safely on the floor in Control Central. Groaning, they stood up and shook off the landing, not quite focusing on their surroundings just yet.

"C-Cybersquad..." Motherboard called weakly.

"Oh my gosh!" Jackie squealed as they laid eyes on the massive amount of damage Hacker had dealt.

"This is not good, this is not good at all!" Inez squealed.

Matt remained silent, anger rolling from him in waves.

"Mother B, what happened?" Jackie finally asked.

"H-Hacker...shut down defenses. Infiltrated...destroyed. Digit missing. Running on...back-up power reserves. Find...Marbles. Get...help."

Her voice cut out, the only sounds the whirring of her internal fans and the crackling electricity from severed wires.

"Motherboard?" Inez whispered, genuinely terrified for the first time since entering Cyberspace.

"I...I can't believe it," Jackie whispered. "She's gone."


	3. Help is on the Way

"Well what are we waiting for? We have to do something!" Matt shouted as the silence became suffocating.

"Do what, Matt?" Jackie asked tone devoid of emotion. "She's gone."

"No, she can't be! If she survived the virus then she'll survive this!"

"Matt, look at her! Actually, look at what's _left_! Hacker destroyed her, there's nothing we can do."

"Oh yes there is," Inez said, tone hard. "We can stop Hacker once and for all. Motherboard said to find Doctor Marbles and get help, so let's do it."

"Inez-" Jackie began warily.

"No! I refuse to sit here and be idle, to give up. Motherboard wouldn't want that and we wouldn't be the Cybersquad of we did! Now who's with me?"

Matt grinned and stepped beside her. The two looked at Jackie. The elder girl sighed, then hardened her features, a look of determination settling into place.

"For Mother B."

"All right, so here's the plan," Inez said, springing into action. "One of us will attempt to reach Doctor Marbles via skwak while another gets a lock on his current location. Whoever's left will prep the cybercoop for flight. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, but who's doing what?" Matt asked.

Inez hummed quietly in thought.

"Jackie, you call him. Matt, you prep the coop. I'll try to get a lock on him."

* * *

Digit woke confused and disoriented in a cage on the Grim Wreaker.

"Motherboard?" he muttered as he regained consciousness. "Hacker!" His eyes snapped open, taking in his surroundings. He quivered in fear, recognizing where he was. "Yoikes," he whispered quietly.

"Ah, cyberturkey. You're finally awake," Hacker said from somewhere in the shadows of the room.

Digit gulped as he approached the cage.

* * *

"Jackie to Doctor Marbles, Jackie to Doctor Marbles. Come in Doctor Marbles," Jackie recited into her skwakpad for the hundredth time, receiving static in return. She sighed. "Inez, I don't think we're going to find him. I've tried every channel this thing has, and no answer. Maybe we should just give up."

"No! Just a few more minutes. We're close, I can feel it!"

"Inez..."

"Please, Jackie, just a few more minutes!" Inez pleaded. "Then we'll stop, I promise!"

"All right." She fiddled with the signal. "Jackie to Doctor Marbles, Jackie to Doctor Marbles. Please respond."

The static crackled, sounding suspiciously like a voice.

"Jackie..."

"I know, hang on." She tried to strengthen the signal. "Come in Doctor Marbles. Respond."

"Jackie...here..." his voice crackled over the line.

"Doctor Marbles, can you hear me?"

"Yes. What...need?"

The two girls looked at each other and smiled. Inez linked up her own skwakpad to Jackie's, running the tracker to find him.

"It's Motherboard! Hacker sent us on a wild goose chase then dismantled her! She told us to find you before she..."

She stopped, unable to continue.

"Hacker!...think...help. But...no way...stranded," he responded.

"Don't worry, Inez is tracking you. We'll come find you."

"Hurry...site...dangerous. Must-"

They lost the signal before he could finish, but Inez had successfully locked onto his signal.

"Come on, we have to tell Matt. The sooner we find Doctor Marbles the sooner we can fix this mess," Inez said.

They left the control room, Inez glancing back at Motherboard's shattered monitor. She sighed, wiping away a tear.

* * *

"Okay, we'll reach EcoHaven in about fifteen minutes," Inez said, setting the coop to autopilot.

"I don't suppose you have an exact location?" Matt asked.

"Sorry Matt, my tracker isn't like Motherboard's. I could only pinpoint the site and a very general area he could be in."

"Hey at least we found him, right?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah. I just wish we could get him back to Control Central faster," Matt sighed.

They were silent for the remainder of the ride, each pondering what Marbles could do to help. They landed near the woods, almost exactly where they'd been to find the Electroroot.

"Okay. According to my tracker Doctor Marbles is somewhere in that direction," Inez said, pointing into the woods.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Matt said.

After an hour of walking and a few dangerous encounters with the wildlife, they finally found Marbles' campsite.

"Hello?" Jackie called. "Doctor Marbles?"

"Anybody home?" Matt called as they ventured closer.

"Cybersquad?" Marbles answered, though he didn't reveal himself.

"Yes, it's us!" Jackie yelled.

"I'm trapped underneath my cybercoop. Find a way to get me out and I'll gladly go back to Control Central with you."

"Come on guys, it sounds like he's back here," Matt said, leading them to the rear of the coop. Sure enough, Doctor Marbles was lying with his legs pinned by the coop. "Hey Doc, good to see you."

"And you as well," he greeted.

"How did this happen?" Inez asked, examining the situation.

"I was making some repairs and an earthquake rocked the site. The coop fell on top of me and I've been stuck ever since."

"How long ago was that?" Jackie asked.

"Not too long, just before your message reached me."

"All right guys, let's find something to use as leverage," Matt said, already looking for some sort of board.

"There are some logs further up the path. Perhaps those would suffice?" Marbles suggested.

"That might work! Let's go!"

They headed up the path, quickly finding the logs.

"Oh no! They're all really short!" Inez said.

"Well, maybe we can use more than one. They're all about four cyberfeet, right?" Matt said.

"Looks like it."

"Yeah, that might work!" Jackie agreed.

"I guess so, but how many do we need?" Inez asked.

"I think two will do it, but let's take three just in case," Matt said, grabbing them.

They ran back to where they had left Marbles, relieved that there seemed to be such an easy solution.

"I'll wedge one log on this side, and you put one on that side," Jackie said, going to the left.

The logs were just small enough to fit under the edges of the coop, with a little digging. The coop lifted up a few inches, and Matt and Jackie jumped on the protruding ends, lifting the coop high enough for Doctor Marbles to slip out.

"Are you all right?" Inez asked as she helped him stand.

"Fine, nothing a change of clothes won't fix. I'm lucky the ground here is fairly soft."

"Great, let's get back to Control Central," Matt urged.

"Yes, if the situation is as severe as you say immediate action is required," Marbles agreed.

They rushed back to their coop, desperation and fear laying heavily in the air.


	4. A Solution

"Oh dear," Doctor Marbles said as they entered the control room.

He had been filled in on the damage as they had flown back to Control Central, but he had thought, or rather hoped, that the kids were just exaggerating. The sight nearly sent him to his knees, the only thing keeping upright the thought that perhaps Motherboard could be saved.

"We tried to warn you," Matt said quietly.

Marbles shook himself out of his shock and approached Motherboard's console slowly, still stunned at the massive amount of damage she had sustained. He winced as he took in the severed and sparking wires, the gaping holes, melted casing, and desperate whirring of the internal fans. The kids watched quietly, sensing his distress. The scientist examined what was left of the monitor and console, sighing heavily.

"This is not good, but I can help," Marbles finally said.

"Then you can reboot her?" Inez asked hopefully.

"No, there's too much damage," he answered truthfully, trying to ignore the way their faces fell. "A complete redesign is necessary."

"So she really is gone," Jackie said quietly.

"Not yet. What Hacker doesn't know is that I've had a back-up plan installed for ages should something like this occur."

Years before, when he had first sensed something amiss with Hacker, he had begun work on a secret project. He knew that if Hacker were to go rogue his intelligence would be dangerous to any he crossed, especially his creators. So with that in mind, he began constructing his so-called back-up plan. It was a cyborg shell, specifically designed to house Motherboard should it come down to it. She had never seen it, and he didn't think he had ever mentioned it to her.

"What does that mean?" Matt asked.

"It means there is still a chance I can save Motherboard, but we have to hurry. I'll need all of you to assist me," Doctor Marbles answered.

"Whatever you need, we'll do it," Inez assured him.

"Matt, come with me. I'll need you to lift something. Inez, see if you can get the monitor functioning again. Jackie, clear a path to the console."

"Got it!" the three chorused, scattering to accomplish their assigned tasks.

Matt went to Marbles' side, following him into the halls of Control Central. He led him, not to the storage room as he expected, but to a private lab. Matt looked around in wonder at the various items littering every available surface. They passed inventions in various stages of completion, odd machinery, and chemicals before reaching the back of the room. Marbles flipped a secret panel, revealing a key pad, into which he input a code. A hidden seal released, revealing a door hidden in the wall. He turned to look at the boy with a serious expression.

"Matt, what you are about to see has never been seen by another person, not even Motherboard. It is to be handled with the upmost care, as it is the only way to save her." The boy nodded to show he understood. "Very well."

They entered the room, and Matt's jaw dropped.

* * *

Digit was beyond terrified. Hacker had made it clear he intended to punish him for joining Motherboard, outlining in detail what he was going to do to him. The cage was inescapable, he'd tried already, and Buzz and Delete had taken his skwakpad. He was desperate, almost to the point of trying to squeeze through the bars of the cage.

Hacker was beyond terrifying, and normally he was fairly frightening. Digit had never seen someone as hate-filled and spiteful as Hacker, never. He shook just thinking about it.

"I hope the earthlies find out where I am soon," he whispered to himself.

* * *

"Think that's clear enough?" Jackie asked, kicking away one last wire.

"Looks like it. There's no wires in their way," Inez said.

"And you got the monitor back on!"

Both girls looked up at the large screen, which while still sparking and displaying scattered cracks and a gaping hole, was indeed functioning. Static raced across the screen in the areas where an image was still available, Motherboard nowhere to be seen.

"Well, the emergency power is still working," Inez answered.

They were interrupted by Doctor Marbles and Matt, who came in carrying something that looked suspiciously like a body.

"Inez, is that?" Jackie asked, pointing to the two.

"I…I think so."

They backed away as the two came closer. Matt gently laid his bundle at the base of the console.

"Ah, Inez, I see you got the monitor functioning again," Doctor Marbles observed as he began hooking up a series of wires from the console to the body." Back up power functioning…no sign of internal core damage…" he mumbled to himself.

"Um, Matt? W-what is that?" Inez asked, pointing to what she now realized was a female cyborg.

He grinned.

"That is Motherboard, or at least it will be when the Doc's through."

"What?"

"Years ago, when Hacker first began to turn against Motherboard, Doctor Marbles set to work finding a solution should Motherboard as we know her be damaged beyond repair. His solution was a cyborg shell, a body created to house her consciousness. It looks like what she'd look like had she been booted up rather than created. He's kept it safe in a secret room all this time. Hacker has no idea it exists," he explained.

"Nor will he until the time is right," Marbles said, catching the tail end of their conversation as he stepped back from the console. He inserted a small chip into one of the remaining parts of the control panel. "If this works Motherboard should be compressed into a small zip file which will then be unzipped once inserted into the cyborg."

"Wait, _if_ this works? You created a living thing, how is this any different?" Jackie asked.

"Creating something is much different. You control the mindset at the time of creation, their intelligence level, their emotions, their initial outlook on life. They're a blank slate. A program waiting to be written. Transferring an already established being or consciousness is far more complicated. They can be damaged in the transfer, their memory harmed, personality deleted, mind wiped. Any number of things could go wrong. They could even reject the body, or the strain could be so severe that they revert to code."

The three kids looked at one another, understanding dawning.

"You mean," Inez began slowly, "that you have no clue if this will work, and if it does it could potentially harm Motherboard further?"

"Correct."

"Then why risk it?" Matt asked.

"Because it's the only way to save her," Marbles answered. "This procedure is extremely rare, and thus not much research has been conducted. When I heard about it, I decided to try it as a last resort only. I pray that she will be one of the few to come through it unharmed."

"If it's possible to download her into another body why didn't you attempt it when Hacker sent her the virus?" Jackie asked.

"Not only did I decide the procedure was too risky, I also discovered it won't cure her virus."

There was a beat of dead silence

"You mean…even if we save her she'll still be sick?" Inez asked.

"Unfortunately," Marbles answered. "Hacker created the virus to meld into her circuits _and_ being, which is her consciousness in this case. Wherever she goes, it goes."

"So, she'll never get better?"

"Actually, there is a certain mineral I was looking into. It's extremely rare, legendary really, but it seems capable of erasing the virus while keeping her memory and programming intact."

"That's great! Where is it?" Matt asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm not even positive it exists." A quiet bing echoed throughout the room, breaking the four out of their discussion. He pulled the chip. "Cross your fingers."

He inserted it into a small slot on the back of the cyborg's neck, his hand shaking slightly. The synthetic skin rippled before sealing over the slot, making it appear as though the small incision was nonexistent. Whirring started up as the chip was processed and the lights flickered. They all watched the cyborg anxiously for signs of life, paying no attention to the rapidly dimming lights as the doctor's words replayed in their minds. When no signs of life were forthcoming Marbles sighed and turned away, unable to accept his failure. The kids continued to watch the cyborg vigilantly, hoping beyond hope that Motherboard would be all right. All was silent and still, even the whirring dying out.

The cyborg's chest jerked upward with the force of a breath.


	5. Saved (But There's Always a Catch)

Digit screamed as a yet another surge of electricity was pumped through his circuits. Hacker had so far been making good on his promise of torture, finding new and unusual ways to punish him for his "sins". He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but it couldn't have been more than two or three days. He was beginning to believe the lies Hacker had told him about his friends not caring enough to rescue him. After all, they should have already come.

"No, Dige, snap out of it. They're probably still stranded on Eureeka. Yeah, that's it. As soon as they find a way off and find out what's happened to Motherboard they'll come for me."

"Talking to yourself again, Digit?" Hacker asked, entering the room.

"Better to myself than to you!" Digit snapped.

"What was that, cyberturkey?" Digit didn't answer. "That's what I thought. Without your precious Motherboard and her little earthbrats you're nothing! But then, you never were, were you? No, you're my sorriest excuse of an invention yet. I regret the day I booted you up."

Now that one hurt. Of course he knew that Hacker had never particularly cared for him, but still. To be told you weren't wanted, it hurt.

"Maybe I should up the voltage," the egotistical cyborg mumbled to himself, examining the device he had attached to the cybird.

It was designed to shock him intermittently and randomly when Hacker wasn't around. In Digit's opinion it was highly effective, and he whimpered at the thought of a higher setting. Hearing him, Hacker grinned and twirled the dial, setting it a few notches higher. Digit's screams rang through the air, music to the cyborg's ears. Buzz and Delete, safely halls away, cringed in sympathy.

* * *

Matt, Inez, and JAckie held their breath as they waited to see if the cyborg would breathe again. Her chest slowly fell and rose again, gradually beginning to create a steady rhythm. Pale purple eyelids fluttered, and they gasped.

"Doctor Marbles," Matt whispered, "I think you'd better have a look at this."

He turned around, gasping as well when he saw the cyborg moving. The cyborg twitched, eyelids fluttering more rapidly before stilling completely. Her eyes opened, electric blue sweeping across the room and taking in her surroundings. Her gaze settled on Marbles and she smiled, radiating warmth and security.

"Mother B?" Jackie asked, breaking the silence.

The woman turned to look at her.

"Hello, Jackie," she said in an extremely familiar voice.

Cheers and shouts of joy went up, Motherboard smiling through it all. She stood up and disconnected the wires linking her to the control panel, finding herself wrapped in the arms of three sobbing children. For the first time, she returned the show of affection, hugging them back.

"Motherboard, it's really you!" Inez sobbed, looking up at the woman.

"Yes, it's really me. Thank you, cybermates, you saved me." She looked to Marbles, who was also wiping a stray tear. "And thank you, Doctor Marbles. Without you this wouldn't be possible."

He coughed awkwardly.

"Yes, well, it was nothing. I'm curious though; how do you feel?"

"Better than I've felt in years. Why?" Motherboard asked in confusion.

"Because this data transfer didn't cure your virus. Perhaps your circuitry is still booting up, or maybe it's settling into the new circuits. Either way, be prepared for it, because it will happen," he answered.

"Well we can't have everything I suppose." She looked back down at the kids who were clinging to her for dear life, as if they were afraid she would disappear again. "It's okay," she soothed. "Everything will be okay."

Matt and Jackie slowly relinquished their grip, backing away and wiping their tears. Inez, though she loosened her hold, didn't let go. Motherboard didn't seem to mind, running her fingers through the girl's hair.

"I suggest we form a plan to defeat Hacker, or at the very least rescue Digit," Marbles said, bringing attention back to the matter at hand.

"I agree, but Hacker shouldn't be made aware of anything until the last moment possible," Motherboard said.

"This won't be easy. He's already proven to be extremely unstable. Keeping him in the dark will be nearly impossible, especially when we regain Digit."

"It can be done. Unfortunately, with my monitor and software destroyed I cannot locate the Grim Wreaker."

"Maybe we can," Inez said. Everyone looked at her. "What I mean is," she began, gripping the fabric of Motherboard's dress more tightly, "is that we tracked you, Doctor Marbles. Maybe we could use the skwaks for the same thing, but with Hacker. The Grim Wreaker is bound to emit a high energy signature, I bet we can track that."

"Inez, you're a genius!" Matt yelled, causing her to blush.

"That is a wonderful idea with a probable outcome. Good job, Inez," Marbles praised, reaching for a skwakpad.

Matt handed him his, and he got to work, scanning for the Grim Wreaker.

* * *

"Boss! Boss!" Buzz yelled, interrupting the torture of Digit.

"What?! Can't you see I'm busy?"

"We just thought you should know there was just a major power spike at Control Central."

"Yeah, a big one. Now their power's almost gone," Delete added.

"What?! But that's impossible! The only way they could use that much power at once is if they've rebooted that clanking cacophony of circuits they call Motherboard!"

"Maybe they did, Boss. Those earthbrats are probably there now and you know how much they love her."

"Yeah! Is that possible, Boss?" Delete asked.

"No, it shouldn't be. Unless…" Hacker trailed off. "Unless there was a backdoor."

"Huh?" both robots asked.

"Zip it! Both of you, keep an eye on Control Central and tell me if anything happens. The slightest thing."

"Gotcha, Boss!" Buzz said.

"We're on it!" Delete added.

Hacker waited until they were gone before turning back to Digit. The small cybird lay panting in the bottom of the cage, his circuits nearly fried from the constant electrical torture.

"What's going on at Control Central?" he snarled.

"I dunno! I swear!"

He screamed as one of his panels was popped open.

"One more time. What's going on at Control Central? Is there any way Motherboard could be rebooted?"

"No! You killed her, you monster!" Digit yelled, pain masking his fear.

Hacker's eye twitched and he reached inside Digit, pulling out a handful of cables. Digit howled in pain, his wings twitching and flapping sporadically. Hacker took out his frustrations on the cybird, alternately shocking him and taking him apart. He stopped just short of shutting him down, wanting him to be around long enough to witness his total domination of Cyberspace. He leaned close to Digit's face.

"If I find that those earthbrats managed to reboot Motherboard I will take you apart one wire at a time."

Digit cringed back, sparks shooting from his core. He watched the cyborg sweep out of the room, glaring weakly at his back.

"They'll stop you, Hacker. I just know they will," he muttered before losing consciousness.

* * *

Doctor Marbles had yet to find any sign of the Grim Wreaker, mostly due to the weakness of the skwakpad. Matt, Jackie, and Inez were discussing rescue plans for Digit, and Motherboard was examining her new body. She looked almost entirely different, the only similarities in her skin and hair color. She stood a little taller than most cyborgs, nearly Doctor Marbles' height, at about five and a half cyber meters, give or take a few inches. Her hair was wavy and just brushed her shoulders, highlighting her blue eyes.

Her frame was petite, and rather than the usual robotic shape of most cyborgs, she was fashioned after human women, or, considering her designer, perhaps Lady Lovelace. She supposed by society's standards she could be considered pretty, maybe even beautiful under the right circumstances, though it didn't matter to her. She was more concerned with the fact that she had a body, not what it looked like. At least she could do things for herself.

Doctor Marbles' cry of triumph drew her attention.

"I think I've got it! It appears as though the Wreaker is on course for Pyramida, though it's not traveling at its usual speed and appears to be exuding an extraordinary amount of energy."

Motherboard took a step toward him, only for a wave of dizziness to wash over her. She stopped, her vision blurring, the sounds of the children's excited voices becoming a dull roar as she began to sway. Her vision darkened, and the next thing she knew she was on the ground with everyone surrounding her.

"Are you alright, Motherboard?" Matt asked, offering her a hand.

"I...I think so," she said, accepting his help.

"What happened?" Doctor Marbles asked.

"I'm not sure. One moment I was fine and the next I was dizzy."

"Hmm, perhaps the virus is settling into your circuits. Would you permit me to examine you?"

"Of course, whatever you feel is necessary," she answered.

He led her into another room, leaving the kids alone.

"Do you think she's okay?" Inez asked.

"I dunno. Oh man, what if it's the virus? What if it makes her really sick?" Jackie panicked.

"Calm down, Jacks. We don't know what's wrong. Maybe it's just a loose wire or something. Besides, and don't take this the wrong way, at least Motherboard's back, right?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, but what if in this form Hacker's virus is strong enough to kill her?" Inez asked.

They grew quiet, the thought of such a thing never having crossed their minds. The air seemed to thicken with despair as each imagined that outcome.

"Snap out of it, guys. That won't happen," Matt said when he couldn't take the oppressive atmosphere any longer.

"You're right, Matt," Inez agreed.

"Yeah, what's the worst that could happen?" Jackie asked.

They turned, ceasing all conversation as a door hissed open, signalling Doctor Marbles Motherboard's return.

"Well?" Matt asked when neither moved to speak.

"My virus has surfaced," Motherboard sighed. "Right now it isn't creating much damage but Doctor Marbles fears that over time it will progressively worsen."

"How much worse?" Jackie asked.

"It could potentially shut her down," Marbles said.

"What?!" the three chorused.

"How long will it take?" Inez asked, glancing uneasily at the woman she considered a second mother.

"There is not enough data for me to determine." He took a step closer. "It is now more vital than ever that we find a cure. Without her firewall there is nothing to keep the virus at bay. It could be growing stronger as we speak. We must find the mineral deposit I was telling you about. But first, we must rescue Digit."

"But how?" Jackie asked.

"We'll think of something, we always do," Matt said.

"We'd better think fast, otherwise…" Inez trailed, unwilling to finish the thought.

"We'll help in any way we can," Motherboard said.

"Thanks, Motherboard," Inez said with a smile. "Alright, before we do anything let's find a floor plan of the Grim Wreaker and see what we're up against."


	6. Rescued

"I just don't understand it," Hacker mumbled as he stared at the screen. It showed recent power levels for Control Central, including the power spike. "Motherboard should be destroyed, I left practically nothing intact."

It was driving him crazy. He wanted to know what caused the power surge but he also wanted to move on and take over Pyramida. Buzz and Delete watched him obsess over the screen. They knew what the surge could mean, and secretly hoped Motherboard had somehow been rebooted. They had never meant to take over Cyberspace this way. A little sabotage and uprising yes, murder no.

"Buzz! Delete!"

"Yeah, Boss?"

"I'm going to declare myself King of Cyberspace in one hour. After that we'll pay Pyramida a little visit to make sure they know who their new ruler is."

"Good idea, Boss. What d'ya want us to do?" Buzz asked.

"I want you two to keep an eye on that silly cyberturkey and these screens. I have a feeling it won't be long before a certain group of goody-goodies attempts a rescue," Hacker said.

"Uh, Boss?" Delete said.

"What?"

"What goody-goodies?"

"The earth brats!"

"Oh," Delete said quietly.

"Don't worry, Boss. Nothin's gonna happen," Buzz tried to reassure him.

"Nothing better," Hacker growled.

* * *

"Alright, so we're going to use this shaft to get in," Inez said, pointing it out on the floor plan. "Then, while two of us go find Digit, the other will find Hacker and see what he's up to."

"This is easier when Digit's here. There's four of us then," Matt said.

"If Digit were here we wouldn't be doing this," Jackie pointed out.

"Oh yeah."

"Come on, we'll need our spy gear," Inez said.

"Third room down the hall on the left. Check the closet," Motherboard called.

She was attempting to help Doctor Marbles locate her cure, a mineral called Alganite. There was only one recorded sighting through the centuries, so while it was rare at least they knew it was real. Unfortunately, the citation of the mineral was brief, and made no mention of its location at the time of discovery. While searching they had uncovered many legends about its healing properties, but no actual evidence, though the myths were quite promising provided they could be proven true.

Shrugging, the trio followed her directions, finding their outfits hung neatly in the closet. They each took their own, spreading out to change, Inez choosing the bathroom, Matt the farthest corner of the room, and Jackie the closet.

"This is kinda cool," Matt called as they changed.

"Yeah, it's like we have our own room," Inez agreed.

"Too bad we can't redecorate it," Jackie said, glancing around at the plain furnishings.

"I'm sure Motherboard wouldn't mind if we did, as long as we ask first," Inez said.

"Great! Add it to the to-do list after 'rescue Digit, cure Motherboard, and defeat Hacker'," Jackie joked.

The other two rolled their eyes but couldn't help smiling. At least Jackie was trying to lighten the mood.

"Come on, Jacks. Let's get started on that to-do list," Matt said, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

They headed back into the main room, double and triple checking their gear. Motherboard and Doctor Marbles were bent over books and the skwakpad, lost in their own world.

"We're taking the cybercoop," Inez called, wanting to at least let them know they were leaving.

"Be careful. Remember, Hacker is more dangerous now than ever," Motherboard said, looking up momentarily.

They nodded before heading into the hanger, grabbing the keys for the smaller two-seater coop. Luckily it had been modified so that four could travel in it, but it was still a bit cramped. After a quick discussion it was decided Inez should drive, as she could handle the craft the best. They took off, anxiety twisting their stomachs into knots.

* * *

The Wreaker wasn't hard to spot, and Inez landed on top without a sound. They waited to be sure they hadn't been seen before piling out and looking around.

"There!" Jackie said, pointing out the opening to the ventilation system.

They grouped around it, each taking one side to pull loose. It gave way much easier than any of them expected, and before long they were staring into a black abyss.

"Okay, Jackie and I will find Digit. Nezzie, you're on spying duty," Matt said.

"Fine. And don't call me Nezzie!"

"Sorry."

They crawled inside, parting as the vents split. Inez continued down the left shaft, rapidly growing confused at all the split-offs. She wished she had thought to take a picture of the floor plan, then she'd be able to get an idea of where to go. She groaned as she realized she could still get it. Pulling out her skwakpad, she opened a communication link.

"Motherboard, come in Motherboard," she whispered into her skwak.

The screen crackled for a few seconds before Motherboard's face took up the screen.

"Inez? What's wrong? What happened?" she asked, her worry and panic nearly tangible.

"Nothing, nothing!" Inez was quick to reassure, feeling slightly guilty at the relieved sigh that followed. "I just need some help. Can you take a picture of the Wreaker's floor plan and send it to me?"

"Of course."

There was rustling and then a picture popped up. She quickly sent it to Jackie with a note telling her to use it as a rough guide.

"Thanks, Motherboard."

"Anytime, Inez."

* * *

Matt and Jackie's luck was no better, but they at least had less options.

"This would be easier if we could see where we are!" Jackie whispered in frustration. Her skwak pinged, distracting her. She pulled it out, grinning happily at the message. "Matt, look! Inez got the floor plan!"

"Where are we?" he asked, turning his head back to face her.

"Um, close to the bridge it looks like. Maybe we should head toward the jail cells?"

"I dunno. That's sort of obvious, and I kinda have a feeling Hacker would want to hold him somewhere different."

"Like where?"

"Like-" he broke off, something catching his attention.

"Matt?"

"Shh!" Matt hissed, hearing something. "Do you hear that?"

"Other than the sound of this place crying to be cleaned? No."

"Listen."

She did, and could just make out a faint hum.

"I hear it," she said. "It sounds like electricity. Where's it coming from?"

"I think it's this way," he said, pointing to a shaft a little ahead and to their right.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Oh man, I'll never find him!" Inez complained to herself, backing out of yet another dead end.

The map had helped, but unfortunately it didn't show her the exact location of the Wreaker's occupants, just rooms. She had already gotten turned around attempting to get to the control room, and now she suspected she was somewhere near the living quarters. She sat back, frowning as she tried to figure out which path to take next. A voice reached her ears, one she'd recognize anywhere. _'Hacker,'_ she thought. She began going toward the voice, her groan deepening as she got closer. He seemed to be gloating to someone, and she got a bad feeling in her stomach.

"Furthermore, from now on, Motherboard is never to be mentioned unless you're discussing my amazing victory. I am the future! Me, and only me, the handsome borg you all know!"

Inez gasped as she realized he was addressing Cyberspace. She slipped out her skwak, sending a message to Jackie about what was going on.

* * *

"Inez says she found Hacker," Jackie read, "and that he's addressing Cyberspace!"

"Good, maybe he'll be busy for a while," Matt responded, fiddling with the grate that separated from the room they suspected Digit to be in.

It fell to the floor with a clang and they froze, worried it had alerted Hacker that something was amiss. When no one came to investigate they hopped out of the shaft, making sure to be as silent as possible. They crept around the room, staring a various pieces of machinery, some of which unnerved them.

"Matt, I think we're in Hacker's lab," Jackie whispered.

They split up, wandering around the seemingly endless space. Something large caught Jackie's eye and she gasped once she got a closer look, alerting Matt to her find. They stared up at a large bird cage dangling about five feet off the ground, the bars and frame crackling with electricity. Bolts and wires littered the ground around and underneath the cage, causing both of them to get an uneasy feeling in thee stomachs, especially since oil was leaking out of the bars and onto the floor.

"Matt, do you think?"

"Yeah, it's the type of thing he would do."

"How are we supposed to get up there without getting shocked?" Jackie asked.

"I don't know, but we better figure something out. I don't like the way this looks."

"Wait, don't our gloves have rubber pads on them?" Jackie asked, turning her hands over to stare at her palms.

Sure enough, the pads of her hands and fingertips had a thin coating of rubber.

"Of course! We can open the cage and not get hurt! Good thinking, Jacks!" Matt said.

"Give me a boost."

Matt cupped his hands and lifted her up, taking her offered hand once she was balanced. They gripped the bars and peered inside, hearts stopping.

"Digit," they breathed out.

* * *

Inez gasped as Hacker cut the broadcast, not taking nearly as long as she thought he would. She waited until he had left the room before removing the vent cover and following him. For a moment she thought he would lead her to where he was keeping Digit, but at the last second he veered left and headed to the bridge. She crouched outside the door, barely peeking around the frame.

"Buzz, Delete, have there been any changes?" Hacker asked.

"No, Boss, everything's the same," Buzz answered.

"No power surges? No attempts to regain power?"

"No Boss, it's just like you left it."

"Good. This means that Motherboard hasn't been rebooted. Marbles must not yet be aware of what's happened. Keep it that way!" he snapped.

Inez couldn't help but smirk as she learned they'd managed to keep Hacker in the dark.

"Right, Boss! We'll watch the screens, won't we Dee Dee?"

"Yeah, just like you said!"

"Good! Don't move from this spot! I'm going to pay a visit to that sniveling cyberturkey."

Inez blanched and backed away, ducking into a small unlit hallway. She held her breath as Hacker passed, relieved when he didn't notice her. She pulled out her skwak.

"Inez to Jackie! Come in Jackie!" she whispered.

"Here, what's up?"

"Have you found Digit?"

"Yeah, and it doesn't look good."

"Hacker's heading your way, you have to hurry!" Inez hissed.

"We're on it! Meet you back at the coop."

Inez ended the call, biting her lip worriedly before working her way back to the vent she had come out of.

"I hope they make it," she whispered to herself.

* * *

"Matt, you heard her we have to hurry," Jackie said, putting away her skwak.

"I know, but this lock is gonna be tricky. And honestly, I'm sort of a fraud to move him."

"We have to, Matt. We can't leave him here."

"I know. Okay, just be ready to go when I get it off," he said, pulling out some bolt cutters and a metal pin, hoping he could just pick the lock.

"You think you can get him by yourself?" Jackie asked, watching him work.

"Maybe, why?"

"Because I'm going to get all his parts off the floor."

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine. Just make sure you get everything."

She jumped down, quickly gathering all the parts and circuitry and shoving them in her backpack. She winced as her hands cot covered in oil, and she tried desperately not to think about where the slick substance had come from.

"I got it!" Matt yelled as the door swung open.

He slipped inside, nearly slipping in the oil. Digit looked even worse up close, oil still leaking from his inner cavity, wires poking through and out, gears loose. He went toward him, hesitant to pick him up.

"Be careful, Matt!" Jackie called, unable to see what was happening.

"I know, I got it," he called back.

"Do you now?" a familiar voice growled from the doorway.

"Hacker!"

"Hello, children." He swept into the room, bolting the door behind him. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah, out of here!" Matt yelled, scooping Digit into his arms, rougher than he would have liked.

"Not so fast!" Hacker yelled, throwing a switch.

Digit began to thrash around, his core popping and sparking.

"What's happening?!" Jackie yelled, seeing the flashes and hearing the circuitry sizzle.

"Take one more step and I'll fry his circuitry, just like I did to your previous Motherboard."

Matt and Jackie glared.

"You don't get to talk about her," Matt growled.

Seeing he had hit a sore spot, Hacker grinned, a manic gleam in his eyes. Jackie took a step back, the look setting her on edge.

"What, the little kiddies miss their mommy? Boo-hoo." Matt's eyes flashed. Hacker grinned, enjoying the boy's reaction. "Don't you like her upgrade? It suits her uses so much better."

Digit continued to twitch and thrash, Matt not moving. Getting an idea, Jackie began to creep toward the lever while Hacker was distracted.

"Shut up," Matt growled, the urge to punch the cyborg in the face growing stronger by the second.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Hacker said, his words drenched in sarcasm. He laughed, the sound chilling. "Put the bird back."

Jackie threw the switch, shutting off whatever he had done to Digit.

"Matt, run!" she yelled, already heading for the vent.

He jumped off the cage, dodging Hacker's surprisingly coordinated grab. Jackie grabbed a length of rope, throwing it up and looping it around one of the screws that had attached the vent cover. She climbed up, Matt hot on her heels. He grabbed the rope and she began to pull him up. The boy gasped as he felt Hacker grab his foot.

"Not this time, you meddling miscreants!"

Matt, in desperation, kicked back with his other foot, hoping to free himself. He connected, though he didn't look back, Jackie resuming pulling as soon as he felt the borg's grip slacken. He pushed Digit into the vent first, Jackie taking him as he crawled in.

"Come on, we've gotta hurry!" she said, crawling as fast as she could.

* * *

Inez was pacing back and forth nervously as she waited for her friends. She had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach, the sensation telling her something was about to go horribly wrong. She was just about to call them when she saw Jackie's head pop out of the vent, her body and Matt quickly following. She rushed to open the door to the coop, jumping out of the way as soon as she had done so. Matt and Jackie rushed inside panting.

"Oh my god," she whispered as she saw Digit. He was still twitching, sparks flying and oil leaking down his body. A small black box caught her attention, and she hesitantly reached for it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Dunno," Jackie panted.

"Inez...go!" Matt wheezed.

"But-" she began to protest.

"Hacker caught us, go!"

She rushed to the controls, needing no further motivation. She took off just as alarms began to blare throughout the Wreaker. She wasted no time hitting hyper speed, getting as far from the Wreaker as quickly as possible. It wasn't until they were sure that Hacker wasn't following them that Inez turned on the autopilot and spun in her seat. Matt and Jackie were leaned over Digit, examining the small box.

Smoke was pouring out of his chest cavity, sparks shooting from his internal core. He was barely breathing.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Hacker threw some sort of lever and shocked him. Before that we don't know, but some of his parts had been pulled out," Jackie answered.

"I hope Doctor Marbles can fix him," Inez said.

"I think he can. I picked up all the parts I could find," the older girl answered.

"I think this is what Hacker used to shock him," Matt said. "I'm gonna get it out, just in case it will still work even though we're away from the Wreaker."

He gave it a tug, and it came free, taking some wiring with it, along with causing a spurt of oil. Matt cringed, upset that he had further damaged his friend.

"Did you find out anything?" Jackie asked Inez, unable to look at the cybird any longer.

"Hacker's watching Control Central. Apparently transferring Motherboard caused a huge power surge. I don't think he knows anything, but he's definitely suspicious."

"Great," Matt groaned. "Can this get any worse?"

"I think we're about to find out," Jackie said as they pulled into a nearly pitch black Control Central.


	7. Escape

Piloting the coop into the nearly pitch black hanger was a challenge, doing it without crashing was just the icing on the cake. Inez touched down gently, fairly certain she hadn't crashed into or otherwise damaged anything. The three were silent as they unloaded and carried Digit through the halls, Matt's grip on the backpack containing the gears and bolts turning his knuckles white. Faint light flickered into the hall from the control room, the only place on the site that seemed to have power. Stepping inside, they saw Marbles kneeling by a small couch, Motherboard asleep across it. They felt their hearts raise into their throats, their emotions spiraling further out of control than they thought possible.

"Um, Doctor Marbles?" Jackie called, the first to break the silence that seemed to suffocate the entire site. He turned, exhaustion and worry darkening his face, his eyes going wide as he got a good look at the bundle they carried. "We need your help, or Digit does actually."

"What happened to him?" he asked as he rushed over to them. He took the cybird from their arms and cradled him gently as if he were a baby, oil staining his clothes and overall making the situation look even worse. "There are parts missing from his internal cavity and core."

Matt held up his backpack weakly.

"We have them here, but I'm not sure we got them all. And we also pulled this out," he said as he he dragged out the small box that had caused their friend so much pain.

The older man took it with a frown, turning it over in his hands and examining it.

"Clever, very clever," he mumbled, stroking his thumb across it. "It's a power adapter, modified to increase the input of electrical energy so that it overloads the processor and system. Once implanted and remotely controlled Hacker could cause a power surge great enough to damage Digit's core permanently, all while controlling the influx of power to further torture him."

"But...can you fix him, Doc?" Matt asked, his eyes stinging with tears.

He sighed.

"I can attempt to repair the damage, but without the proper equipment and power supply I can't promise a full recovery."

"Can you reroute the power from here to your lab?" Inez asked.

"I'm not sure that would be sufficient, but yes, I can." He looked back down at Digit, sadness filling his gaze. "I'll start work immediately. If you three could keep an eye out for Motherboard I would be most grateful."

"No problem, Doc."

"I'll let you know when I've finished."

He left the room, the door swishing closed behind him and leaving a sense of finality. Matt, Jackie, and Inez looked at each other before turning to face the woman they would do anything to save. She looked peaceful in sleep, more peaceful than they could ever recall seeing her in the time they had been coming to Cyberspace. Of the three, Inez was the only one to inch closer, curious as to whether there was anything other than exhaustion behind the woman's unexpected nap.

She appeared fine, as normal as she had when she'd first been transferred, but something told the youngest member of the team that there was more to it than what appeared.

"Is she okay?" Jackie asked, though she made no move to come closer.

"I think so," she answered as the lights began to flicker before going down completely.

She tensed, the eerie green glow of the sky outside the only light in the room. She had never been the biggest fan of the dark, and this day seemed to serve to make it worse.

"What do we do now?" Matt asked, squinting to make out his friends.

"Wait I guess," Inez said, slowly sliding to the floor and propping her back against the arm of the couch.

The older two mimicked her, sitting on the floor back to back. A few minutes ticked by in silence, the tension growing with each second.

"Well this is boring," Matt said, shifting against Jackie.

"It's not like we have a lot of options here," the older girl responded.

"Ghost stories?" he offered. "I don't have a flashlight since it's in the bag, but it should still be creepy enough."

"Sure, why not? Better than sitting here listening to each other breathe," Jackie agreed. "Inez?"

"I guess," she said uncertainly, unsure if it was such a good idea. "Who's going first?"

"I will," Jackie said, sitting up to properly scare her friends.

—

Marbles felt his hands shaking as he fully opened Digit's panel. He'd have to craft a new cover for him, that is, if he could fix the damage Hacker had created. He dumped out the contents of Matt's backpack and began sorting and cleaning the wires and pieces. 'First Hacker attacks Motherboard and then Digit. Then her virus begins to run rampant and now I have to put my friend back together. Can this get any worse?' He recalled how they had been reading over documents and books, desperate for the location of Alganite, and then she had swayed.

He had steadied her, albeit a bit absentmindedly, but then she'd fainted. Again. That hadn't been too long before the kids had come back. He'd picked her up a laid her on the couch, concerned when he noticed that she was warmer than her internal controls should allow. He knew the virus would progress faster than it had when she'd had fire walls, but he hadn't expected its progress to be quite so rampant so quickly.

He'd have to examine her again soon, properly, and begin tracking its progress. He also supposed he'd have to tell the children as well. He sighed. First things first, he had to repair Digit.

—

Motherboard heard voices as she woke up, or one voice rather, the other sounds being gasps. Her eyes flicked beneath her eyelids, her brain resisting coming into consciousness. She blinked, unwillingly, darkness greeting her instead of the light she was expecting. She turned her head slightly, barely making out two of the kids sitting in the floor, her cpu speeding up for a moment until she noticed the third sitting quietly beside her on the floor.

"...and the brother struggled against the hand, pulling against it, trying to tug his hand free. He heard a sound and looked behind him and saw his little brother! 'Couldn't you find me?' he asked, and the older boy fought harder, finally freeing his hand before grabbing his brother and running out of the house. If his brother was behind him, what….was in….the closet?!" Matt screamed, causing the girls to scream in return.

He laughed, Jackie following soon after, both too amused to notice Inez wasn't laughing with them. They had been telling stories for a good while, each one a little scarier than the last, and honestly even though she knew they weren't real she was pretty worked up, the combination of their day and the darkness of the room only adding to her anxiety. That was probably why when she felt the couch shift behind her back she gasped, her whole body tensing in preparation to flee. She turned her head slowly, adrenaline pumping through her veins, and nearly screamed when electric blue eyes locked on her own. It was only the realization of where she was and what they had been asked to do returning to her that had her swallowing the sound.

"Motherboard?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Inez? What's going on?"

Jackie and Matt, hearing the woman's voice, grew quiet and made their way closer to the couch.

"Doctor Marbles rerouted power to his lab," Jackie answered, unwilling to tell her about Digit.

"Where's Digit?" The three shared a look, each one begging the others to speak. Motherboard felt her synapses sparking as dread settled over her. "Where's Digit?" she asked again, slightly more panicked.

Electricity raced through her body, hitting her nanites and causing her muscles her jump as her matrix strained to keep up with her senses. A light shock raced through her system, making her startle, and she heard her cpu hiss as it fought the short threatening to ruin it.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked, noticing her slight jerk.

"I'll be fine, just tell me what happened to Digit," she said, fearing the worst.

"Hacker tried to kill him," Inez said quietly, wincing as she felt the woman's intense gaze lock onto her. "He was in a cage and...missing some pieces. We brought him back and Doctor Marbles is trying to fix him, that's why it's dark."

As if on cue, the lights began to hum, power returning. Four heads whipped up, watching as what little power the site had left returned. Motherboard was moving even before the lights had fully turned on, heading for the doors that would lead her to the little cybird. The kids were hot on her heels, all of them desperate to know if their friend had been repaired. They arrived at the lab just as Doctor Marbles was stepping out.

He looked haggard, oil smeared across him and a few burns and cuts on his hands. His shoulders sagged, whether from relief or defeat they didn't know.

"How is he?" Motherboard asked.

Marbles sighed.

"I've managed a temporary fix, but some of the wires have been irreparably damaged as have a few of his processors. Thankfully his core only received minor impairment, and I was able to correct the issue."

"But will he be alright?"

"In time, yes. For the moment he's resting, but he should still be able to function, albeit with less energy than usual."

"Can I see him?"

Matt started to protest, to say that they were his friends, the ones who saved him, but the girls grabbed his arm and shook their heads. They could hear the anguish in her voice, and recognized a mother's pain.

"Yes, But I don't expect he'll be waking up anytime soon."

He stepped aside, allowing her to enter. The last sound they heard before the door hissed closed was her strangled gasp as she took him in. Doctor Marbles sighed as the door closed.

"Children, we need to have a talk."

—

"Um, B-boss?" Buzz stammered, approaching the larger cyborg.

"What?!"

"C-Control Central power levels changed a-again."

Hacker turned to face the robot, who was quivering in fear. He held a printout in his hand, which the borg promptly snatched. It showed the small surge of power and the subsequent rerouting of said power. He ground his teeth as he read it. Something was going on, and he intended to find out what.

—

The Cybersquad couldn't believe what they were hearing. If what Doctor Marbles said was true, and they had no reason to doubt him, then Motherboard had less time than they had originally thought. But what could they do? Short of bouncing around cybersites blindly there was nothing they could do. Alganite was her only hope, and they had no way of finding it.

The doctor himself was deeply upset, and had retired to his room for a bit to think things through. The kids thought it was because he couldn't take many more disappointments. Motherboard too, had set off on her own-after nearly a half hour spent with Digit-to the library in the hope she could find something they had previously looked over. Matt, Jackie, and Inez had silently agreed to wait with Digit until he either woke up or one of the adults returned.

To their relief Marbles had managed to fashion a new cover for the cybird's core, and now the only thing amiss was the few feathers that were missing around the edges. It was almost as though nothing had happened. Inez and Jackie were sitting against the wall, fighting sleep, and Matt had taken a chair to Digit's side, holding his wing.

"Come on, Dige," he whispered, squeezing the wing he held, "wake up. I know you can do it." He sighed when his friend remained still. "Please, Dige. We're all worried about you, including Motherboard. She's really upset. Please wake up."

He stiffened when a faint movement brushed his palm. He looked down, the feathers twitching and fluttering.

"Come on, you can do it!"

Digit's eyes flew open, darting around, desperately trying figure where he was, when it was, and why he wasn't in pain. And then he screamed.

—

"But Boss, why are we going all the way back to Control Central?" Delete asked, clueless as usual.

"Because, you metallic meathead, those earthbrats are doing something and I want to know what it is!"

"But I thought you didn't care what they did because Motherboard is gone."

"That's just it, isn't it? How can I be sure they haven't found some way to resurrect her? They've performed miracles before, so why not now? Get it?"

"Uh, not really."

Hacker pinched the bridge of his nose, vowing that when Cyberspace was under his complete control he was going to find a pair of smarter henchmen.

"Listen very closely, you blundering bucket of bolts," he said, tone low and measured, and Delete tensed. "These power levels are unusual, especially considering Motherboard is no more. Therefore, we are going to see what those meddling miscreants are up to and put a stop to it once and for all."

"Oh, g-got it."

"Good. Now get out of my sight!"

—

"Digit! Digit calm down, it's us!" Matt yelled, frantically trying to calm down the cybird.

Inez and Jackie rushed over, quickly shooing Matt away.

"Dige, Dige, it's over! We got you out, you're safe!" Inez said, making sure he could see her clearly.

"It's okay, Dige. We're not going to let him get you again, we promise," Jackie added.

"G-guys, is it really you?" Digit asked, still shaking.

"It's us, we promise. We snuck into the Wreaker and rescued you, and the Doc fixed you up."

"He's really gone?"

"Yeah, you're safe, we're in Control Central."

"And….Motherboard?" he asked nervously.

"She's alright," Inez grinned, though it fell nearly immediately. "Well, alright in the sense that she's alive. Doctor Marbles had a cyborg shell ready for her, and we transferred her into that. The bad news is that without her firewall the virus is spreading fast. We need a mineral called Alganite to cure her, but we don't know where it is."

Before he could respond, the door opened and both Motherboard and Doctor Marbles rushed in.

"What happened? Who screamed?" Motherboard asked before she realized Digit was awake. "Digit, oh thank goodness!"

She hugged him, the cybird gripping her tightly. The mood lightened considerably, the dark cloud that had been hanging over them all since the Cybersquad's return lifting.

"Welcome back, Digit," Doctor Marbles said, a genuine smile appearing for the first time all day.

"Glad to be back, Doc," he replied, releasing the cyber ruler and hopping off the table. "So what's this Alganite I'm hearing about?"

"A mineral that according to legend has healing abilities like nothing else. Unfortunately no research has yielded its location."

"Then what do we do?"

"Keep looking I suppose. Reach out to our friends on other sites and see if their records mention it," Motherboard answered, leaning against the table.

"We'll have to lay low though. We can't let Hacker know what we're doing, or that Motherboard is okay," Matt added.

Digit shuddered at the mention of the cyborg's name, and his friends shared a glance.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Digit asked, uncomfortable with the silence. "Let's start calling people and seeing what they know."

Before they could move, a red light began flashing on the skwakpad Motherboard was carrying. Her face went white, and her hands began shaking as she looked at the screen.

"Mother B, what's wrong?" Jackie asked.

"Hacker's here, and headed this way."

"What?!"

"He...he just landed the Wreaker."

The woman looked like she was about to pass out, and the five onlookers could understand her fear. She was weak, and Hacker had proven that he wasn't above murder and torture to get what he wanted.

"What do we do?" Inez asked, well aware that they had to do something.

"We'll have to run," Marbles answered, already moving around the room and gathering equipment and tools he knew he'd need. "We'll duplicate the cybercoop, and split up. He'll be searching for me most likely, so I'll go as far away from you as I can."

"But we can't let you go alone!" Matt protested. "We need you! And Hacker's crazy, who knows what he'd do if he caught you!"

"Matt is right, your safety is the primary concern," Motherboard agreed, more concerned for her colleague and friend than herself. "If you insist on leaving alone, at least promise to meet us somewhere."

"What about Tikiville?" Digit suggested. "Ever since Hacker failed to overthrow Creech he hasn't been around that site. She can hide us, and while we're there we can see if she knows about Alganite."

"Great idea, Dige," Inez said, giving him a smile.

"Tikiville it is," Motherboard said, beginning to usher the kids out of the room. "Meet us in the hanger in fifteen minutes."

Marbles nodded, beginning to pack his equipment in a satchel. Motherboard herself led everyone else through the halls, keeping an eye out for Hacker as they went. Her intentions were to retrieve the few documents that described what Alganite looked like, as well as a few provisions. They didn't make it that far.

Footsteps echoed from the control room, and they all tensed.

"Think this is important, Boss?" Buzz's voice floated into the hallway.

"Alganite? Why would they….Buzz! Delete! Start searching the site!" Hacker yelled.

The little group began backing down the hall, trying to escape the borg's notice. They had nearly reached the end of the hallway when Buzz and Delete stepped into it. Everyone froze, including the two robots.

"Digit, kids, run," Motherboard said, stepping in front of them fully.

"But—"

"Run!"

They ran, unwillingly, and heard scuffling behind them as Buzz and Delete charged after them. They slid into the garage just as Doctor Marbles was readying the coop for duplication.

"Where's Motherboard?!" he yelled, fear creeping into his tone.

"Buzz and Delete saw us and she made us run!" Jackie yelled back, obviously upset.

"You guys stay here, I'm gonna go help her!" Matt declared, turning to the door.

He jumped out of the way as the woman in question ran in, panting as she slammed the button to momentarily lock the door.

"We have to go, now!"

No one argued as they climbed into the coop, too relieved that everyone was alright to protest or argue over who was driving as they usually did. Motherboard took the wheel and powered up the coop, mere seconds before the door opened. She motioned Marbles through first, and just as she prepared to take off Hacker burst into the room. She glanced back as she propelled the coop out the door, the last glimpse of her home being Hacker snarling at their retreating form.


End file.
